When can I cut off utilities? | Limiting water and lights to rented properties
- Property Protect
- Mar 20
- 3 min read
When, and how, can I cut off utilities? Can I shut off my bad tenant's water and lights to get them out?
Cutting off a tenant’s electricity or water is one of the fastest ways to escalate a dispute—and one of the easiest ways for a landlord to get into serious legal trouble if done incorrectly. South African law strongly protects a tenant’s right to undisturbed use of the property, including access to basic services.
You cannot cut off or limit utilities without a court order.
A landlord may not cut off a tenant’s utilities, even if:
The tenant is not paying rent
The tenant is in breach of the lease
The tenant refuses to vacate
Doing so would be considered spoliation - the depriving of a person of their possession of a thing or right. This would entitle the tenant to go to court to get a spoliation application against you. In a spoliation application, the court looks only at whether you have deprived the tenant of their possession of utilities, and does not care whether the tenant is in breach or not. You are very likely to lose such a case and will face a legal costs order of up to R100,000 or more.
So what do I do?
If your tenant isn't paying rent, but is still using utilities, you're facing an escalating municipal bill - and the municipality doesn't care that your tenant isn't paying. Regardless of your lease terms, as the owner of the property, the municipality holds you ultimately responsible for payment of utilities. So what can you do?
(1) Application to limit utilities
If you try to switch off utilities yourself, you not only face a costly spoliation application, but in terms of the PIE Act, you are guilty of a criminal offence - see our article on illegal conduct here. The only correct way to stop a tenant from using utilities is to bring a court application to shut off / limit supply of utilities to the property. As experienced property attorneys, we can assist you with this.
(2) Install smart prepaid meters.
Smart prepaid meters exist for electricity usage and also for water utlities. They can be costly to install, but help to prevent a tenant from running up a bill. You may not be able to install one into the property with your current tenant problem, but it is something to consider once we've helped you evict your tenant.
(3) Start the eviction process without delay.
You need to evict your bad tenant as soon as possible to cut your losses. Property Protect is the fastest and most affordable way to evict bad tenants. The longer you wait, the more you stand to lose - see our article on just how much you stand to lose if you delays eviction here.
Cut your losses now. Join Property Protect today and get the most efficient, affordable eviction option on the market.
The above information is for illustrative purposes only and does not take into account your specific circumstances. It therefore does not constitute legal or financial advice. Please contact us for comprehensive advice to address your circumstances. Under no circumstances should any person use the above information in an attempt to circumvent the provisions of legislation or contract, or to cause damage to any other person. Always ensure you and your company are in compliance with the law in all dealings. This information is accurate as of the date of publication. Property Protect is not insurance and does not pay out any claim amount. It is a Value-Added Service (VAS) provided at a discount, directly from our law firm. © 2026 Maybery Attorneys Inc. All rights reserved.
